ABSTRACT
Inorganic nitrite and nitrate are now widely accepted and recognized as indispensable nutrients for human health and disease prevention. This is in stark contrast to the prevailing thought just twenty years ago. Nitrite and nitrate were once considered toxic food additives that formed nitrosamines which increased the risk of certain types of cancers. As such there was an effort to limit consumption of nitrite and nitrate-containing foods. As with any substance, there are defined toxicities of both nitrite and nitrate at high doses causing methemoglobinemia and hypotension. However, the doses that cause any signs of toxicity are far greater than what could be consumed through normal dietary patterns. Epidemiology reveals nitrate- and nitrite-enriched vegetables are protective against both heart disease and cancer. There is also a clear understanding on the mechanism of action of the health benefits of nitrite and nitrate through the production of nitric oxide (NO) within the human body. Insufficient NO production is causal for chronic disease and repletion of NO through nitrite and nitrate has been shown to treat, prevent and even cure many chronic human diseases. The scope of this chapter is to review the current state of the science on nitrite and nitrate in human health and disease and put this in the context of agricultural, environmental, and dietary exposure to humans.
